First Jamaica uprising.
The Caribbean region was in 1985 just as unstable as Central and South America. One has to remember that it was only two years since American, Jamaican and other Caribbean forces from the Regional Security System had invaded Grenada to remove what they perceived as a Communist threat in the country (to this day the level of threat is disputed). None of the countries in the region were actually Communist, though Guyana had a left-leaning government and Guatemala was governed by a military Junta that allied itself to the Soviets in 1984. Grenada was seen by leftists in the region as a serious defeat and several groups started making preparations to overthrow several governments in the region should the opportunity present itself. On 4th October 1985 the Soviet Union provided these groups with the opportunity. On that date HMS Yarmouth was 152nm northeast of Jamaica, on her way to a port visit in Kingston. HMS Zulu was off the coast of the British dependency of Anguilla, having recently visited the island. HMS Mohawk was off the Cayman Islands, on her way back to her duties off Belize. RFA Grey Rover was taking on fuel and stores at HMNB Bermuda (HMS Malabar) and it was planned that she would meet HMS Zulu off Barbados later in the week. Just after 0100 hours GMT all British forces in the region received the news of the Soviet attack on America and orders to begin unrestricted warfare against the Soviets and their allies, all ships going to action stations and military facilities upgrading their threat level to BIKINI STATE AMBER. Very soon HMS Yarmouth received signals from Jamaica about some sort of riot, or coup underway in Kingston. Units of the Jamaican Defence Force and Jamaica Constabulary Force were apparently engaged in fighting heavily armed insurgents in the capital. Later news came in that the island’s Prime Minister had been assassinated as part of the uprising and there had also been an attempt on the life of the Governor-General. The Governor-General, Sir Florizel Glasspole had declared a State of Emergency and had requested assistance from both Britain and America, the later was somewhat occupied that morning, but Britain immediately responded. HMS Yarmouth and HMS Mohawk were immediately ordered to provide the Jamaican authorities with what assistance they could. Meanwhile on Bermuda a composite company formed from 100 men from B (Royal Leicestershire) Company, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment , 50 men from the RM company from HMS Malabar, 30 volunteers from The Bermuda Regiment and even a platoon of 25 men from the USMC security company that guarded the NAVFAC and NAS was readied for despatch to the island. Getting them would be the problem, several airliners and a USMC KC-130F, which were on the ground had been requisitioned to move the troops. However the insurgents on Jamaica had seized Norman Manley International Airport, the closest to Kingston and Sangster International Airport, the other major airport on the island, hoping that this would allow Cuban troops to be flown in (the Cubans did not have troops to spare for this eventuality, fortunately). The only other way of getting the men there would be to squeeze as many troops as possible aboard RFA Grey Rover and HMS Zulu, which had been recalled from Anguilla, and a detachment of 75 men from the composite company were detailed to go by ship if the airports could not be secured. On the afternoon of 5th October HMSs Yarmouth and Mohawk rendezvoused off the southern coast of Jamaica. It was agreed that both frigates would form a Naval Party made up of both ship’s marine detachments and some bluejackets, commanded by the Lieutenant who commanded the ‘Crazy Y’s detachment (Mohawk’s det commanded was a WO2), a total of around fifty men. The marines would, in the main, man the heavier weapons, such as GPMGs, 66mm LAWs etc and direct Naval Gunfire Support, while the sailors would provide additional riflemen. Later that day Yarmouth’s Wasp flew her First Lieutenant and her marine det commander to the JDF’s Command Post outside Kingston. Both sides agreed that the main priority was to recapture the international airport. Fortunately the airport was on the Palisadoes spit of the outer part of Kingston Harbour, an ideal position to allow support from both frigates. The plan agreed was that as the JDF attacked the airport from the landward side Yarmouth and Mohawk would conduct an amphibious landing using their Wasp helicopters and ship’s boats and then provide NGS should it be necessary. Once the airport was secure Yarmouth would signal HMS Malabar, requesting that the Composite Company be dispatched. At 0800 hours, 15th September the two Wasps landed eight Royal Marines to secure the landing area for the ship’s boats carrying the majority of the landing force and its heavy equipment. Once they had done this they returned to the frigates and were armed with AS.12 missiles. The landing force ‘hit the beach’ at 0815 hours, linked up with the helicopter party and pushed inland towards their objectives. It had been agreed with the Jamaicans that the JDF would begin its attack at the same time as the helicopters inserted the first marines. Unfortunately there had been a delay organising the soldiers from 1st and 3rd Battalions of the Jamaica Regiment, and they did not begin their attack until 0830, leaving fifty British marines and sailors facing over one hundred well armed and dug-in insurgents, fortunately for only a short time. Despite the disparity in numbers the ‘Naval Brigade’ was still able to take some of its objectives at the cost of six casualties. Fortunately the British were able to deploy significant firepower, including two Carl Gustav recoilless rifles and several GPMGs, and at one point the marines called down fire from HMS Mohawk to neutralise one particularly troublesome enemy strongpoint, while another was destroyed by AS.12 missiles fired from a Wasp. At this point the JDF finally began its attack from the landward side of the airport. They ran into some pretty strong defences and called down fire from HMS Yarmouth to assist them. However their delay actually helped them in the end, as the insurgents had withdrawn significant numbers of defenders from the landward side of the airport to counter the British landing, which weakened these defences. By 1000 hours the surviving insurgents had withdrawn to the terminal building. The JDF Lt. Colonel in overall charge of the operation was not willing to incur any more Jamaican, or British casualties, so requested that the two frigates reduce the remaining enemy position. Yarmouth ''and ''Mohawk ''now closed in to the coast and shelled the airport terminal with their 4.5inch guns for half an hour, by which time it had been reduced to burning rubble. No survivors were found in the building. At 1130 hours GMT HMS ''Yarmouth sent a signal announcing that the airport was secure. Four hours later several aircraft carrying one hundred and thirty men from the Bermuda Composite Company arrived at the airport; it had already been decided to despatch the seventy five man balance and some heavy equipment via RFA Grey Rover. Half of the company was immediately despatched to join men from the 2nd Battalion, The Jamaica Regiment, who were preparing to secure Sangster International Airport, while the others joined JDF and JCF forces still fighting in the capital. HMS Yarmouth stayed off Kingston to support forces, while HMS Mohawk moved round the island to support forces in the northwest. RFA Grey Rover and HMS Zulu arrived seven days later with the balance of the company and two 25pdr guns, usually used as ceremonial weapons by The Bermuda Regiment; Zulu also relieved Yarmouth, which had been recalled to the UK because its ASW capabilities were sorely needed; HMS Nubian would arrive in the New Year to bring the frigate force in the region back up to three. Fighting in the rebellion would last another month, at which time British and American forces were by and large withdrawn (although HMS Zulu remained in the area). However incidents and minor attacks by insurgents carried on at a low level until the next major uprising in 1987, but that, dear reader, is another story.